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Gem Identification, Gemstones

What do California rubies, Arizona rubies, and Elie rubies all have in common? None of them are actually rubies; they're garnet! More specifically, they're pyrope garnet, a type of garnet known for its red hues. If it looks similar enough to ruby to give it so many misnomers, you might wonder, what are the differences between rubies and garnets?

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Gem Identification, Gemstones

What would happen if you put rocks or gemstones under a blacklight? Would they fluoresce? If you've been in a room lit by a blacklight, you might recall seeing things like paper, plastic, and teeth appear to glow. Banana spots, olive oil, certain flowers, and scorpions all fluoresce under UV light as well. What gemstones show fluorescence under UV light?

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Gem Identification, Gemstones

If you’ve been looking for an amethyst crystal recently, you may have noticed that there are many fake amethyst crystals in the market. For this reason, you may be wondering how to tell if amethyst is real.

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Gem Identification, Gemstones

For anyone thinking about investing in a piece of emerald jewelry, it's important you go with a trusted dealer that sells natural emeralds. Unfortunately, many fall into the trap of buying imitation or synthetic emeralds these days and still may not even realize it!

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